SJB boycotts COPE

By Saman Indrajith

The SJB had decided to boycott the COPE (Committee on Public Enterprises), Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella said.

He said the SJB would continue to boycott COPE until the Speaker appoints an Opposition MP as its head.

“During the Aragalaya protests, the Speaker agreed to appoint Opposition MPs as the heads COPE, Committee on Public Accounts and Committee on Public Finances. But he reneged on that pledge. As we continued to protest, President Ranil Wickremesinghe intervened and said Dr. Harsha de Silva should be appointed COPF Chairman. That, too, was owing to continuous agitation by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and me. We have decided to boycott COPE.

Eleven MPs of the 31-member COPE have resigned after SLPP MP Rohitha Abeygunawardena was appointed Chairman of the Committee.  Those resigned from COPE were Dilan Perera (SLPP), Anura Kumara Dissanayake (JVP/NPP), Duminda Dissanayake (SLFP), Wasantha Yapa Bandara (SLPP), Eran

Wickramaratne (SJB), Dayasiri Jayasekara (SLFP), Prof. Charitha Herath (SLPP), S.M. Marikkar (SJB), Hesha Withanage (SJB), Gamini Waleboda (SLPP), and Shanakiyan Rasamanickam (TNA).